title: Mapping spin coherence of a single rare-earth ion in a crystal onto a single photon polarization state.
abstract: We report on optical detection of a single photostable Ce(3+) ion in an yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) crystal and on its magneto-optical properties at room temperature. The spin quantum state of the emitting level of a single cerium ion in YAG can be initialized by a circularly polarized laser pulse. Coherent precession of the electron spin is read out by observing temporal behavior of circularly polarized fluorescence of the ion. This implies direct mapping of the spin quantum state of Ce(3+) ion onto the polarization state of the emitted photon and represents the quantum interface between a single spin and a single photon.
authors.affiliation: 3. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart and Stuttgart Research Center of Photonic Engineering (SCoPE), Pfaffenwaldring 57, Stuttgart D-70569, Germany.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kolesov
authors.forename: Kangwei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stöhr
authors.forename: Tugrul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inal
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siyushev
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wrachtrup